


Christmas Vacation

by Artemis_Egeria



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Christmas, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Jewish Wanda Maximoff, Rom-Com Tropes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 00:39:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17131745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artemis_Egeria/pseuds/Artemis_Egeria
Summary: Wanda finds an amazing rental on the beach for a Christmas vacation she booked on a whim. When she arrives, she meets someone unexpected, but he may just turn out to be the best part of her vacation.





	Christmas Vacation

A/N: In this AU, Tony Stark is very wealthy but not famous. Inspired by [Christmas Prompt #3](https://alternateuniversescarletvision.tumblr.com/post/180960178637/christmas-prompt-3) at the Alternate Universe Scarlet Vision blog on Tumblr: Vision co-owns the Air BnB Wanda is staying in on a solo weekend away just before Christmas.

 

Wanda let herself in to the rental using the key under the welcome mat with a sigh of relief. It had been a long and stressful travel day from New York to Oahu. It had started on a high note with her alarm clock failing to go off and rushing to catch her flight on time. It had only gotten better when a passing car had run over a puddle and splashed her from head to foot in slushy snow as she stood outside the airport with her luggage. She was racing to get on her first flight as they were issuing the final call, with no time to change her clothes. She’d almost missed her connecting flight when she accidentally walked to the wrong gate. She wasted no time dropping her bags by the front door and taking off her shoes.

But things were looking up now. Wanda congratulated herself on her rental find. She had only booked this trip on a whim. When she started looking for places to rent only a week before her departure date, she was surprised that this place hadn’t been snapped up already. It was right on the beach with gorgeous views of the ocean and the mountains in the distance. The best feature was the solitude; there were no nearby neighbors, so she wouldn’t have to worry about socializing. She was looking forward to a week of sun and sand with no interruptions.

However, right now Wanda was ready to crash. She settled herself on the luxurious sofa in the main room and promptly fell asleep. Sometime later, she woke to a rumbling stomach and decided to fix herself a snack. She went to the kitchen to rummage through the refrigerator. In his emails, Tony had told her to feel free to take anything she wanted. She opted for a sandwich. When she was halfway through it, she heard the front door rattle in its hinges. After a brief silence, the snick of a key turning in the lock scared her.

Her body immediately went into high alert. Tony had said throughout their correspondence that he would be away the entire time of her. Wanda grabbed the first item that came to her, which turned out to be a rolling pin. She crept toward the door and without thinking, hit the man on the head when the door opened. He immediately fell to the ground. Wanda examined him. He looked nothing like Tony’s picture on the site, blonde instead of dark-haired and more angular.

After a few minutes, he opened his eyes blearily. “Who-who’r’ye?” he slurred.

“Wanda Maximoff. I’m renting this house all week. I’m supposed to have it all to myself.” Now that her adrenaline was dissipating, guilt began to overtake her. Perhaps she had overreacted. She went to the freezer and found a bag of peas to put on his forehead. Wanda hoped that she hadn’t given him a concussion. When she came back, he hadn’t yet moved, and his eyes were unfocused. She crouched down and placed the bag on his head.

A while later, he finally began to come back to full awareness. He looked first at her bags and then at her, clearly surprised and trying to formulate a question. “Who are you again? Are you a friend of Tony’s?”

“No, I just rented the place from him for the week.”

“Ah, he failed to mention that to me. My name is Vision; I co-own this house with him.”

“He didn’t mention that to me either.”

“I was supposed to be visiting my brother for Christmas, but he made other plans at the last minute.” He paused, trying to focus on her face, but blinking rapidly as if to clear spots from his vision. “I’m sorry. We got off on the wrong foot.”

“I’m the one who should be sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you; I was just startled.”

“I commend you on your quick reflexes.” Wanda was not sure how sarcastically he intended that comment to come out. Given their positions, she might have expected him to be bitter, but there was a very real note of admiration in his voice.

“Do you want to sit on the couch?”

“I’m not sure I can stand yet.”

“I’ll help.” He nodded slightly and raised himself up on his elbows. Wanda put one of his arms around her shoulder and hoisted him up. She supported him during the few steps to the couch in the main room. It was fortunate it was such a short distance; he was heavier than he looked. Settling him gently, she sat next to him. His pained grimace only intensified her guilt. “Sorry again.”

“It’s alright. I choose to blame Tony for the misunderstanding.” He smiled slightly at her, and Wanda automatically responded. The man, Vision, he had said, certainly had a beautiful smile, even with a lump growing on his forehead.

“I guess I’ll find a hotel and see if I can get a refund from Tony.” She didn’t relish the thought of having to move somewhere else. It was already late, and exhaustion was falling on her after her adrenaline spike. But she couldn’t stay here with a complete stranger.

Vision didn’t answer immediately. His brow was furrowed in concentration. When she moved toward the door and started to put her shoes on, he finally said, “There is plenty of room here if you would like to stay.” She was about to politely decline when he added, “I won’t bother you. I actually live in a small guest house behind the main house.” He pointed out the back window to a structure that was just visible.

She thought for a moment. The offer was tempting, but after her childhood, she was not one to easily trust those she did not know well. He didn’t seem very threatening, but looks could be deceiving. “Alright. I’ll stay if you really don’t mind.”

“It’s perfectly fine. You paid for the use of the house fair and square. It is not your fault that my friend didn’t warn me.”

“Thanks. And sorry again for the headache.”

“I feel better already. Please do not trouble yourself. I will leave you to your vacation, Wanda. If you need anything, feel free to knock on my door.” He smiled at her one last time and left. She automatically locked the door, though it was nonsensical. But before she went up the stairs to bed, she noted that Vision had left his key next to the one that she had used. She supposed that he could have another spare, but it was a nice gesture all the same.

She still locked the bedroom door.

***

_Day 1_

Wanda slept fitfully. She thought it must be the combination of jet lag, sleeping in an unfamiliar place, and being used to waking up at odd hours during her residency. She finally fell into a proper deep sleep early in the morning. It was almost ten before she woke. It had been years since she’d slept so late.

Stretching indulgently, she threw on some clothes and walked downstairs. Tony had told her to take whatever she wanted from the fridge or pantry. She poured herself some cereal and sat on a stool at the kitchen island, staring out the window at the turquoise water.

Wanda jumped a bit when she heard a knock on the front door. She looked through the keyhole to see Vision standing on the porch. Opening the door to him, she asked, “How’s your head?

“Much better this morning.” His statement was belied by the bump on his forehead that was already developing a sickly purple tinge around the edges, but she didn’t want to draw more attention to it than necessary. “I think the peas did the trick.”

“If you have any other symptoms, let me know. I am a doctor. Unless you’ve had second thoughts about me staying here?”

He shook his head. “No, not at all. I know I said I would not bother you, but I didn’t realize I was running so low on sugar. I was wondering if there was any up here.”

“You’re welcome to look.” She stood aside for him to enter.

“Thank you. Did you have a good night last night?”

Wanda nodded. “Yeah, thanks.” He found a bag of sugar in the pantry and pulled it out.

“That’s all I needed. I’ll go back to my place.” Vision gave her a friendly wave and walked out the door.

Wanda left shortly after him and lazed on the beach all day, soaking in the sun, challenging the sunscreen she brought.

***

_Day 2_

On the second full day of her vacation, Wanda went running along the beach early in the morning. She didn’t want to deviate too much from her usual customs. Her life was often chaotic, and she relied on those small moments of routine to keep her sane.

Her route looped down by the water and around the back of her rental. She forgot that she might be intruding until she saw the figure stretching behind the guest house. It was too late. She finally noticed that Vision was wearing only a pair of shorts. A distant part of her brain recognized that she should stop ogling him, but Wanda could not tear her eyes away. Her gaze followed the smooth curves of his muscles until he straightened up and jumped when he saw her staring.

“Sorry, I-uh…” Wanda’s brain tried frantically to come up with an excuse, but it was still inundated with images of Vision’s near-naked body that were causing it to malfunction. “I was just coming back from a run. I didn’t mean to bother you.”

Vision’s startlement was fading, and he smiled at her. “It is no bother. I was just going for a run as well.”

“Have fun.” Wanda hoped that didn’t sound as stupid as she thought. Vision waved at her, and she waved back. She didn’t think she was imagining the way his last look at her lingered on her legs.

***

_Day 3_

When she returned from her run, careful to only pass the front of the main house, there was a note on the door. _Seeing as we have surprised each other unpleasantly twice, I thought we might have a pre-arranged meeting. If you would like to join me for breakfast, please come down at 8 a.m. Though I would understand if you would prefer to enjoy your vacation in peace._

Wanda looked at her watch. It was already 7:30, but her mind was made up before she found herself rushing up the stairs to take a quick shower. Wanda pulled on a simple cotton sundress once she was refreshed. She was glad that Pietro had convinced her to get something new and out of her comfort zone of dark colors for her vacation. Her hair was a lost cause, so she simply bound it up on the top of her head. After throwing on some powder and eye makeup, she rushed back downstairs.

She slowed as she approached his door, trying to seem cooler and more collected than she had the previous time seeing him. At her knock, Vision opened the door, grinning at her. “Hello, come in. I…I am glad you decided to join me. I hope eggs are satisfactory. I am making omelettes with feta cheese and spinach.”

She stepped inside and said, “Sounds great.”

“Would you like coffee as well? Or I have orange juice, grapefruit juice, or milk.”

“Just coffee, please. I take it black.”

He poured her a mug and then moved to carefully slip a spatula under an omelette to check if it was done. She took a few sips as he made a second omelette. When they sat down at his small kitchen table, Vision asked, “Have you been enjoying your stay so far?” He smiled at her nervously. “Aside from that little misunderstanding?”

“Yeah, it’s been just what I was looking for. I sat on the beach all day yesterday, no responsibilities.”

“You said you were a doctor, correct?”

“Yeah, I’m a cardiothoracic surgeon in New York.”

“May I ask why you have chosen to spend Christmas week across the country from your home?”

“I think you just did.” He blushed and ducked his head. “It’s okay, though. I don’t actually celebrate Christmas. I’m Jewish, and Hanukkah is already over. Besides I had some vacation time to use up before the end of the year, and my colleagues were practically pushing me out the door.”

“Mine have been similarly insistent in the past. I took this entire week off in anticipation of traveling; I am certain that they would physically push me out the door if I tried to go in.”

“Why do anything else when you can work, right?” He chuckled and nodded. “What do you do?”

“I’m a marine biologist. I study dolphins.”

“Ooh, I love dolphins!”

He seemed to appreciate her enthusiasm. “I’m going out to a good spot to view them the day after tomorrow if you would like to join me.”

In truth, she still hadn’t been planning on doing anything besides lounging by the beach or the pool, but the idea was appealing. “Sounds fun.”

“And I was also planning on hiking Diamond Head tomorrow morning in case you are interested. I think everyone who visits here should climb it at least once.”

Wanda hesitated. Vision was coming on a little strong, though she was the one who had been staring at him the previous day. But she did pride herself on being a good judge of character. She discerned nothing more from him than a friendly desire to form a connection with someone and to see that a traveler who was all alone during the holidays had a good time. “I’d like that.”

***

_Day 4_

The view before Wanda opened up to a gorgeous panorama, the color of the sky blending in with the water in an endless expanse of intense blue. “Wow.”

“It is beautiful, isn’t it? I have made this climb several dozen times, and I am still awestruck every time.”

Wanda remained looking out at the landscape for what felt like hours. Time stretched out just as the vista did. She caught Vision staring at her a few times, but instead of feeling perturbed, she was warm all over. The fourth or fifth time, however, she couldn’t resist teasing him, “What? Do I have something on my face?”

“I apologize. I have not hiked up here with someone else since my last serious girlfriend.”

“Don’t sweat it.” She considered her next words for a moment, deciding the worst that could happen was that she would offend him and she would never see him again a few days earlier than otherwise. “How long ago was that?”

“An embarrassing number of years.”

“Care to be more specific?”

“No, not particularly.”

“Would it make you feel better if I said it’s been five years since my last serious relationship?”

“Yes, it has been even longer for me, but fairly close. It has been eight years.”

“I’m sorry.”

He shrugged. “I have been focused on my studies and my career.” She could understand that. Her commitment to medicine had ruined many a budding relationship, not that she would have it any other way. Using her knowledge to save lives was her purpose. She would not compromise that for anyone. “Aside from that, socializing has never been my strong suit.”

“Yeah, that’s why I like to cut people open.” That line, which often drew horrified groans, pulled a laugh from him.

“I understand. That’s why I spend all my time with dolphins, rather than people.” Wanda smiled at their different approaches to a similar problem as they began the trek back to the bottom of the crater.  

***

_Day 5_

“Could I steer the boat?”

Vision looked doubtful before he smoothed his face into a more open expression. “If you would like. Do you have any experience with this type of boat?”

“No,” she was forced to admit.

“That’s alright. I can show you.” He gestured for Wanda to come forward. He demonstrated all the controls and stood aside as she began to steer. She suspected that Vision was humoring her when the boat veered far off the path it had been on previously. “May I?” he murmured, standing at her elbow and reaching out for her hand.

Wanda smiled up at him. “Sure.” Placing his hand over hers, he guided them back to the correct course. His scent wrapped around her, and she found herself leaning into him. Vision pulled away when the boat was back on course. She may or may not have purposefully steered the wrong way to encourage him to put his arm around her again.

They finally reached a spot far out from shore with crystal clear water all around and a cloudless sky overhead. Vision stopped the boat, pulling out a notebook. “I have been tracking the population of a local group of Spinner dolphins. They make the most beautiful leaps out of the water. If we sit here quietly, we should see a good number of them.”

Wanda grinned at him, and he returned the gesture easily. Awhile later, Wanda saw a gray shape pass close to the boat. She pointed to it and asked if it was what he was looking for. “That’s a Bottlenose dolphin. Spinners are smaller.”

Finally, a few individuals leapt out of the water, twisting sinuously in the air. Vision started jotting down notes. Hours passed with stretches of complete calm, followed by bursts of activity. Vision pointed out not only various kinds of dolphins, but also brightly colored fish, sea turtles, and other wildlife.

When she talked to Pietro that night, she told him about her day’s adventures, carefully avoiding mention of who she was spending time with. But it was their conversation—about their likes and dislikes, the world, science, philosophy past joys and sorrows—that stuck with her the most.

***

_Day 6_

On Christmas Day, Wanda and Vision sat around the Christmas tree, drinking hot chocolates. They were quizzing each other about holiday traditions. Vision admitted that he wasn’t very familiar with Hanukkah celebrations, so she told him what her family did. She in turn asked whether he preferred Christmas in England or in the States. When they reached the topic of favorite holiday movies, she said indignantly, “I can’t believe you’ve never seen _A Christmas Story_.”

He shrugged. “My favorites are the old classics, like _White Christmas_ and _It’s a Wonderful Life_. I simply never made the time to watch it.”

“We should watch it right now. There’s always someplace playing it on Christmas Day.” He smiled at her, and she sensed that he was humoring her. But she had a sudden desire to show him something important to her. “I must have watched this a dozen or more times when I was younger. It was one of the few English tapes we had access to. My brother and I begged our parents for a BB gun for years.” She grinned to herself. Though the memory was still tainted by sorrow, she treasured the memories of working in concert with Pietro and absorbing their parents’ loving exasperation.

“I look forward to watching it with you, then.” She located the correct channel. Fortunately, the movie had only just started. Vision watched in attentive silence. Wanda appreciated the focus he was exerting in taking in the movie.

When it was done, Vision regretfully informed her that it still did not rank among his favorites, but he could see why it might appeal to people. Wanda meanwhile admitted that she had not seen any of the movies he had mentioned. He reacted similarly to her, and they spent the rest of the day watching Christmas movies new and old and comparing notes.

***

_Day 7_

“Race you to the front door!” Wanda shouted when she and Vision were in sight of the house. She sped up, Vision close on her heels. He fell behind just slightly, and she turned over her shoulder to glare at him. “You better not let me win.” He had been keeping pace easily with her their entire run.

“As you wish.” He loped ahead of her without a second’s hesitation. He didn’t appear to even be breaking a sweat.

Wanda struggled to get even with him. “I didn’t mean humiliate me.”

Vision smirked, still not even breathing hard. “You ought to have been more specific in your instructions.” That was it. She had to at least give him a little bit of a challenge. There was only a tenth of a mile or so to go, so she put on a burst of speed and pulled ahead of him. Wanda felt a surge of triumph that propelled her forward when his smirk fell.

They raced neck and neck until they reached the front steps. Wanda was just a bit ahead when her foot caught the edge of the top step. Her arms windmilled out in an instinctual attempt to keep her upright, thus knocking Vision over as well. Instead of trying to move away, he had grabbed her arm to try to keep her upright.

She fell on top of him with a soft thud. She could feel her face go crimson in a combination of overexertion and embarrassment. Vision’s face was equally red. They merely stared at each other for a few moments. Wanda finally squeaked out, “I’m really sorry.”

“Well, they say pride goeth before a fall. It’s only what I deserve after being smug.”

“It’s okay. Being smug looks cute on you.” She clapped a hand over her mouth. She didn’t even have alcohol as an excuse for a comment like that.

His eyes widened, but he did smile at her. “Thank you.” Another silence stretched between them. Wanda realized that she was still lying on top of a virtual stranger, though a very nice and attractive one, with only thin workout clothes to separate them.

“Um, sorry again.” She crawled off of him. “I’ll stop pinning you to the floor.”

“Of course.” Sitting up gingerly, Vision rubbed the back of his head.

“I didn’t give you another head injury, did I?”

“No, no, just a nervous gesture this time. Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Wanda scrambled up and gave him a hand up. “Hey, do you want to spend the day with me? If you’ve had enough, just say so.”

 “I don’t think I could ever have enough of you.” Vision immediately winced and covered his face with his hand. It was comforting to not be the only one cursed with foot in mouth disease. “I mean-I…I would be happy to spend the day with you. What would you like to do for your last day?”

“I haven’t gotten enough beach time in.”

They agreed to meet in an hour, and they spent the rest of the day alternating between laying out on the beach and swimming in the ocean. Wanda relished the opportunity to touch and be touched by him when they spread sunscreen on each other and commiserated about the miseries of bad sunburns. She happily listened to Vision discussing his latest research and conservation efforts. Vision followed her every word intently while she talked about her most recent surgeries.

After a quick dinner from a food stand on the beach, they wandered back to the house. She was prepared to go upstairs and take a shower before going to bed, but Vision invited her to use the hot tub. She couldn’t resist. They started out across from each other, but somehow they gradually drifted toward each other until they were practically touching.

Vision looked her squarely in the eye. “Wanda, I have been thinking. My brother lives in New York and Tony often conducts business there. I could visit them more often, and perhaps we could have dinner, if that would be amenable to you.”

He smiled tentatively at her, but Wanda didn’t bother answering him. She merely leaned forward and kissed him. When Vision didn’t respond immediately, Wanda started to pull away and apologize, but his hands cupped her face, pulling her back in. After a few minutes, there was nothing tentative about their kisses. Soon they were haphazardly climbing out of the hot tub while remaining connected and frantically drying each other off, still dripping on the good hardwood floor when she pulled him inside.

Wanda ran her hands over Vision’s torso as they climbed the stairs sidewise, trying not to let go of each other. His fingers found the ties on her bikini top and pulled it away when they reached the bedroom that she had been sleeping in. He paused for a moment to look down at her, silently asking if that was alright. She nodded, and they collapsed on the bed together.

***

_Day 8_

Wanda woke feeling at peace with the world when she remembered the night before. She rolled over expecting to see Vision, but the bed was empty. Stretching, she smiled to herself at the thought of spending her last few hours in Hawaii with him. She got dressed in a comfortable travel outfit and walked downstairs. She was about to turn the corner at the bottom of the steps when she heard voices. Her contented haze faded somewhat.

A woman’s voice met her ears first. “I was looking for you, Vizh. I was wondering why you didn’t answer my knock on your door.”

“My apologies,” Vision’s soft accent followed. “I-I… didn’t expect you back so soon, and I decided to take advantage of Tony’s larger kitchen.” The waver in his voice bespoke a great deal of nervousness. Wanda wondered who this woman was to rattle him so much.

“I had to come back a day early to take care of some urgent business.” Wanda peeked around the corner to see a tall woman with strawberry blonde hair standing with Vision. She had obviously just arrived. Though not a hair was out of place, a bag was sitting on the floor next to her and her suit was slightly creased.

“Ah, were you intending to work from home?” He sounded as if that was the very last thing he wanted in the world. Dread began to grow in Wanda’s stomach. What was the most reasonable explanation for Vision’s reaction to this woman’s presence?

“No, I just wanted to stop by quickly to see you. I’m on my way to the office. The car’s still waiting for me outside.” Wanda bristled when she took a step closer and hugged Vision. He in turn placed a kiss on her cheek. “We’ll have dinner later. It’s been far too long since we’ve talked.”

“Yes, of course, I am free all evening.” Wanda crept back up the stairs, trying to contain her tears of rage and disappointment.

Stupid! She was so stupid. Wanda had never felt like such an idiot in her life. Of course, someone like Vizh had a girlfriend. Although she guessed he wasn’t as wonderful as he appeared. He was just a cheater, no better than any other man. And he’d made her into the other woman unwittingly. And he’d even given her a sob story about how long it had been since his last girlfriend.

Without another thought, Wanda grabbed her phone from the nightstand and shoved the rest of her items into her suitcase as quickly as possible. Dragging her bags down the stairs carefully, she was fortunate to exit the house without Vision’s notice. She didn’t even see him when she left. She opened her rideshare app with shaking fingers and requested a car as she stood on the porch. Only five minutes left until she could leave this place behind and let it fade with her other bad memories.

After another minute or two, Vision came outside, looking confused as to what she was doing. It made her furious. Wanda attempted to pour all her anger into a glare, but Vision did not have the grace to look even a little bit guilty. “Wanda, what’s wrong?”

“How dare you ask me that?” she practically shouted. “Don’t play innocent.”

“I don’t know-.”

“Shut up!” She couldn’t bear another moment, hurrying toward the main road into town. Vision followed after her, but she refused to hear him. Her car finally arrived. Wanda only allowed herself one last look behind her at Vision’s face, which was still set in despondent confusion.

***

_Two Weeks Later_

“I don’t know what happened, sister. You’ve been miserable since you got back from Hawaii. But when you called in the middle of the week, you were so happy.”

“It’s nothing, just post-vacation blues.” Her answer clearly did not satisfy Pietro, but he let the matter drop. After collecting her things, she paused to kiss him on the forehead. “I will see you later.”

“Have fun saving some lives.”

Her morning passed uneventfully, aside from her daily call from Tony, which she dutifully ignored. Along with numerous emails from him and one she recognized as Vision’s address after reading the opening line. It was a light day with only one surgery and no emergencies. She was able to go home early for once, but it was still almost fully dark by the time she left.

As Wanda left the hospital, a tall figure detached itself from the side of the building. Her mouth fell open when she saw that it was Vision. “What are you doing here?” she snarled.

“I came to explain something. Please, just give me a few minutes. I promise, after this, I will never bother you again.” His face still bore that painful earnestness, and though she was on the brink of denying him, something in her wanted to hear him out.

“You have until we reach my apartment.” Wanda deliberately started walking in the wrong direction so he didn’t have her true address. He remained silent for a few moments, walking side by side with her, his longer strides easily keeping pace with her shorter, quicker steps.

“Thank you, Wanda. I realized why you were upset after you left. You didn’t see what you thought you saw.”

“What? Is it not cheating because you were about to break up with her?” Wanda said bitterly.

Vision shook his head forcefully. “No, Pepper is not my girlfriend. She’s Tony’s girlfriend, but we have all been best friends for years. We always say hello that way.”

She could feel herself softening, but she had to be sure. “Then why were you so nervous?”

“Because, while Tony and Pepper are my closest friends and they have many fine qualities, they would never let me live down finding me in a compromising position with a woman that I’d only known for a few days.” He sighed. “As I mentioned, it has been a very long time since I’ve dated anyone, and I did not want to spoil our night with her overly gleeful teasing.”

She wanted to believe him. “Why should I listen to you?”

“I gather you haven’t read any of Tony’s emails?” She shook her head. “For what it is worth, he attached some pictures of him and Pepper over the years, with date stamps. You may not have any more reason to trust him than you do me, but it would be a rather elaborate ruse to try to fool you.”

Curiosity and rising hope forced her to at least look. She went to the side to get out of the flow of traffic, huddling under an awning. Vision stood next to her, leaving an appreciable space, wringing his hands. Wanda opened Tony’s most recent email on her phone, scrolling through until she reached the pictures. Sure enough, it was Tony from the site and the woman from the kitchen, varying hairstyles denoting the passage of time, obviously very much in love. Vision was in some of the pictures, but he was a bit apart from them, looking slightly uncomfortable about being the third wheel.

Wanda looked up at him, the weight of guilt at her overreaction falling on her all at once. “I guess I should have given you a chance to explain earlier.”

“I may have done the same if I were in your position.” Wanda sincerely doubted that, but she appreciated the gesture. “I know that a few days spending time together and one night of…lovemaking does not mean we know each other well, but I would never lie to you like that.”

“I should have known that already.”

“So, will you give me a second chance? I’m in town for a few days. We have much to discuss if we are going to consider a longer-term relationship, but perhaps we could get a start on that.”

She reached for his scarf to pull his face closer to hers. “Yes, but first I didn’t even get to kiss you goodbye.” Leaning in the rest of the way, she captured Vision’s lips, and his arms automatically encircled her. It took a few wolf whistles from passersby to get them to separate. “Um, I know this great little place a few blocks from here that makes traditional Sokovian food if you want to have dinner and talk.”

“That sounds lovely.”

They walked arm in arm down the sidewalk with the hope of a new future between them.


End file.
